Under the Oak Tree
by Sweet.Melody817
Summary: The events of Halloween night retold from Boo Radley's perspective.


It was the last day of October, but the heat in the air was so powerful it was as if Maycomb was frozen in time, s

AN: This was just a school project so I don't know how good it is but please review and tell me what you think.

Disclaimer: I don't own To Kill A Mockingbird in any way.

**Under the Oak Tree**

It was the last day of October, but the heat in the air was so powerful it was as if Maycomb was frozen in time, still back in the summer months. The darkness of that Halloween night hung in the air like a veil, covering eyes and blocking any chances of sight. It was a complete darkness; the moon and stars were not present to light the sky.

But, looking out of my window, I could see everything. The thick veil of the night has always seemed to pass by my eyes. It was sunlight, instead, that robbed me of my vision and left me helpless as a blind man. I stared out the window and took everything in. I saw our street where those children and their father lived, I saw the long yard leading to the school house with the solitary oak tree standing strong in the center, and finally, I looked down and saw my own pale white hands.

I turned away, suddenly longing for something to do. In the bathroom I found a bar of soap and then returned to the kitchen for a knife. I would carve a figure of that oak tree. As little shavings of soap fell to the floor, the soap began to take shape. A lot more time than I thought must have passed. People could be seen emerging from the school and heading away towards their homes. Beams from their flashlights swept searchingly across the field, growing smaller until they were tiny pinpricks against the black sky. I sighed with relief; none of them were coming this way. I couldn't stand the nervous, suspicious looks people shot at my house every time they passed.

Suddenly, a yell burst through the silence. I strained my ears to make out the words. "Cecil Jacobs is a big wet he-en!" My head snapped up. That was the voice of the little girl that lived next door; there was no doubt about it. And something was definitely wrong. Beneath the way she had tried to sound confident and brave, her voice was shaking. The girl was scared of something. I heard another shout. This time it was her brother. "He-y!" I could detect a note of the same fear in his voice too.

I rose from my seat and headed for the door. It might be nothing, but I had to go and see, just in case. I saw a strange silvery shimmer on the yard moving slowly towards the oak tree. That must be the girl wearing that costume she had on before. Next to her I could see the boy, but there was a third person walking a few feet behind them. He was a tall man who walked with uneven, lurching steps as if he were drunk. His hand was clutched around something sharp and glistening. I broke into a run with the old knife still in my hand; they were in danger.

They were under the tree now and I tried to make my legs move faster. They stopped to listen but the man kept going. He was racing towards them at a breakneck speed and they knew it. The boy told his sister to run and she took off, but then she tripped. She pitched forward, put off balance by her costume, and waved her arms wildly trying to stay up. I kept running. The man reached her and lashed out. His knife connected with her costume and a loud rip sounded as the metal tore. Her brother came then, desperately trying to free her. But he was pulled back, and he let out a wild scream as the bones in his arm snapped. The man tossed him aside as the girl ran at him and his arms found her neck. I raced forward, pulled him off her, and threw him roughly to the side. But he had changed his target now and went for me. I raised my arm and thrust forward. The cold steel of the kitchen knife had found its mark; the man wheezed once, collapsed, and was still.

I leaned against the tree, gasping for breath as a coughing fit came over me. I had overexerted myself, but it didn't matter. I had protected them, and this man would never hurt them again.

Later after all of the events of that night began winding down, the girl led me to her brother's room to say goodnight. I reached my hand out towards him, unsure what to do, but then lowered it again.

"You can pet him, Mr. Arthur, he's asleep. You couldn't if he was awake, though, he wouldn't let you…."She looked expectantly at me, and her eyes were full of kindness. "Go ahead."

I rested my hand lightly on his hair and found the ghost of a smile forming on my lips before it vanished. I wanted to go home. The girl seemed to understand and I followed her outside. But suddenly, I felt a wave of unexplainable fear crash over me. Everything that had happened tonight was just too much. I needed to get back.

"Will you take me home?" my voice was a whisper, almost inaudible.

I went inside my house, shutting the door behind me, and immediately felt safe again. I took my seat by the window and stared out. The girl who had been so nice to me was gone now, probably back inside her house at her brother's side. I looked to the knothole on my tree that was now covered with yellowing cement, and remembered with contentment the excitement on their faces as they had discovered each new surprise I'd left there for them. Somewhere in the distance, I heard a mockingbird sing its song.


End file.
